COOKIES: Biscotti is Italian biscuit/cookie that have been baked twice to make it hard, rather than the usual soft melt-in-the-mouth type of cookies. They are to be best enjoyed by means of being dunked into the coffee that accompanies it.

COOKIES-- BISCOTTI:

 

 

 

3 ½ cups all purpose flour                                          

½ cup butter, softened

¾ cup sugar                                                                

5 eggs

2 tbsp. grated lemon rind.                                           

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup pine nuts + ¾ cup pistachio nuts

1 egg white, lightly beaten                                          

sugar for sprinkling

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

 

Use a hand-held electric beater to cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, lemon rind and vanilla. Add flour in batches, mixing well after each addition. Add nuts. Stir mixture together and form into dough.

 

Divide dough into 3 pieces and shape each piece into a log. Brush each log with beaten egg white and dust it with sugar. Transfer logs to un-greased baking sheet, leaving enough room for dough to expand during baking.

 

Bake 20 minutes, or until just lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Cut each log, in a slightly diagonal direction, into 1/3-inch thick slices. Arrange cut slices on baking sheet. Reduce heat to 275 degrees F and bake pieces 20 minutes more, or until crisp and dry. Cool on rack.

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI:

 

 

 

2 ¼ cup all purpose flour + 1 tsp. baking powder                                           

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar                                                                 

3 eggs  + 4 egg yolks

1 tbsp. Amaretto                                                         

¾ cup hazelnuts, skin on

½ cup mini chocolate chips

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Whisk eggs, egg yolks and liqueur together in a small bowl. Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa and sugar together into another bowl. Add egg mixture into flour, mixing until dough just comes together.  Fold in hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

 

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll each out into a log, about 10 x 2-inches in size. Place logs on un-greased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, then removed from oven and cool 10 minutes.

 

Cut each log on a slight diagonal into 1/3-inch pieces and put them back on the baking sheet. Reduce heat to 275 degrees F and bake cookies for 20 minutes more. Cool on rack.